The Darkness Within Us All
by Xyrule
Summary: My first crossover! Everybody has both a dark and a light side. Xy is no exception. When he appears on a spaceport looking for the Outlaw Star, he is unaware of what his presence there has truly done...
1. The Galatic Leyline

**Summary: The story is a heavy AU from Outlaw Star Episode 24 and a different version of the events following Close Encounter of the Darkest Kind. After the events of the Galactic Leyline, the Outlaw Star stops at a spaceport. There, Aisha finds a man named Xy who is surrounded in a mysterious aura. She is intrigued by him, and has many questions about what he's hiding. Who is he? How is he such an excellent swordfighter? Why do his eyes flash green sometimes? And what are his motives?**

**I also noticed that I am officially the first person on to do this kind of crossover. Hurray!**

''Transmission from the Orta Hone Hone.'' Jim Hawking said.

''Open it.'' Gene Starwind said from the pilot's seat of the Outlaw Star.

Jim nodded and pressed a button. On the main screen, the captain of the Orta Hone Hone (probably messed that name up) showed up.

Aisha Clanclan fainted as soon as she saw her old commander. He looked at her with a combination of disgust and pity, then turned back to Gene.

''Well, Gene Starwind, I must say that I'm impressed.'' the commander said. ''My name is Pawa Inoue.''

Gene smiled. ''Thanks for the help. We couldn't have stopped Hazanko if you hadn't arrived.'' he said.

Pawa nodded. ''You were the hero here, Gene and his crew. I concede the leyline to you. The decision was unanimous for the entire Empire.''

While the crew of the Outlaw Star were processing this in their minds, Pawa continued.

''And I have a message for Aisha Clanclan when she wakes up.'' he said. Aisha shot up at the statement. ''You have been promoted to Admiral if you return to the fleet.''

''First the leyline, then we'll talk about promotion.'' Aisha replied, shocking everybody in the crew. She would never refuse the offer. This leyline must have been very important to her, even more so than as mere orders.

Pawa Inoue nodded. ''Gene Starwind, you may open the gateway.'' he said. Gene nodded.

''Gilliam, open up the grappling arms.'' he said.

''With pleasure, Gene.'' the ship computer said. The two arms came out and Aisha and Suzuka maneuvered them to the leyline space.

As soon as the grappling arms entered the warped space, a bright flash shone, and the entire thing collapsed.

A huge shockwave of energy blasted in every direction, pushing all ships in its way outwards.

When the crew got the Outlaw Star under control, they stopped the ship.

''Is everybody okay?'' Gene asked.

''Yeah.'' Jim said from the front seat.

''I'm fine.'' Melfina said from the chamber where she floated.

''Nothing's broken.'' Suzuka said.

''It was all a bust. There was no treasure there at all.'' Aisha said in disbelief. She was shaking slightly. She looked down and began to choke up. ''It was just a stupid time bomb.''

''It's alright, Aisha. You have nothing to worry about. You won't even have to stay with us for much longer. You're back in the Ctarl-Ctarl fleet.'' Gene said. Aisha looked at him.

''Can we talk about this later?'' she asked. Gene looked away from her.

''Jim where are we?'' he asked.

Jim quickly checked the computer in front of him. ''Uh, we're somewhere in the Kryptoban system. There's a spaceport about ten million kilometers away. Syrama 10. It's near Kryptoban 2.''

''Good. Let's go there. What's the damage report?'' Gene said.

''Nothing seems out of place.'' Gilliam said. ''In fact, that shockwave seems to have fully restored me.''

''All systems show green.'' Melfina confirmed. ''Even the ammo has been fully restocked.''

''Transmission from Hagoban 4.'' Jim said.

''Open it.'' Gene said.

Fred Luo's face appeared on the screen.

''Hey, there! Just calling to say thanks for repaying your debts so quickly. I don't know how you did it, but you have absolutely no debt for anybody!'' he said, then got off.

''Huh!?'' the entire crew said.

''How did that happen?'' Suzuka asked.

''I don't know, but let's not complain.'' Gene said. ''Let's go to Syrama 10.''

''Newton Drive activated. Ether engines at eighty percent power. Engines running.'' Melfina said. The ship began to move towards the station.


	2. Xy

When the Outlaw Star docked, the walkway came out of the wall and let them into the station. Their good luck had held, and they had somehow already paid for two weeks' docking.

''I need to be alone, okay?'' Aisha asked. Gene nodded.

''Meet us back here later.'' he said. Aisha nodded back and ran off.

''She's really depressed about the leyline, isn't she?'' Suzuka asked.

''Ah, don't worry about her.'' Jim said. ''Knowing Aisha, she'll be back to her normal self in no time.''

In a bar somewhere in the station...

Aisha sat in the bar, not even touching the drink in front of her.

''What should I do? They won't let me back now that the Galactic Leyline's a bust.'' she asked herself, staring at her reflection in the table.

The door opened, and a black-haired person walked in. He looked only about Aisha's apparent age, maybe a little younger, but a lot skinnier and with a more childish, though worn, face.

''This isn't the kind of place for a kid like you.'' someone said to him. He looked at them.

''Nowhere's the kind of place for me anymore, sir.'' he said in a gravelly voice, walking up to the bar stools and sitting three seats from Aisha, who barely noticed him.

''Nothing for me.'' he said to the bartender, then turned to Aisha.

''You have problems too?'' he asked.

Aisha finally looked up and saw him. He had brilliant emerald eyes with lightning bolts under them. His hair was messy and jet black.

Despite his appearance, Aisha could tell that there was much more to him.

''Why would you care?'' she asked.

''Because I care about people who have problems. I'm sympathetic that way.'' He then noticed her ears. ''Or-''

She saw him looking at her ears. ''Not human. Ctarl-Ctarl. You've never heard of us?'' she said.

The person looked thoughtful for a second, and it almost seemed like his eyes and a circle at his chest glowed green, then nodded in understanding.

''Ah. An alien. I'm sorry. I've never been here. I just got here from, well, I'm actually not quite sure.'' he said.

Aisha suddenly heard something with her excellent hearing. Someone was about to attack this person from behind. But she didn't really care. She didn't know this person.

Suddenly, a long sword appeared in the person's hand out of nowhere, and he met the person behind him's blade with a single fluid motion.

The sharp sound of metal on metal rang through the tiny bar.

''I told you, this is no place for a kid.'' the man behind him said.

The person who had blocked the sword tsked. ''That's too bad. I thought I could be welcome here. I guess I was wrong.'' he said. With that he leapt into action. Within seconds, he had both his and the attacker's sword at the attacker's neck. ''On second thought, I think it's you who aren't welcome. I don't appreciate people who attack others without a good reason.''

He let the attacker go, throwing his sword next to him. His own sword disappeared.

''My name is Xy Ketchum, for anybody who cares to know.'' he said, then walked out of the bar.

The bar members quickly forgot about Xy, but something about him intrigued Aisha. She decided to leave the bar and see if she couldn't find Xy again.

She didn't have to walk far. He was standing on a bridge over a river near the street, just watching the water flow.

When she got closer, she heard him talking, though she couldn't see to who.

''-am I here? I can't seem to find the ones who forced me here, and I don't even know where to look.''

He stopped, presumably listening to a reply that Aisha, even with her excellent hearing, couldn't sense.

''I know they're here somewhere. But what in the Bottom Realms in an Outlaw Star?'' he asked. Aisha froze when she heard that.

Another pause.

''Yes, but I haven't seen anybody who looked like they could have sent the signal. As far as I know, there isn't an Outlaw Star anywhere near here.''

Another pause. Xy sighed.

''I've already gathered enough information to know that I'll need a spaceship, preferably the one called a 'grappler'. But my Pokedollars don't work here.''

Another pause. Xy stiffened slightly.

''Are you sure? Someone would notice...'' he said, then seemed to have been interrupted.

''Okay. But if I'm captured or arrested, it's your fault, no matter who you are.'' he said, ending what seemed to be an imaginary conversation.

Xy turned around too quickly for Aisha to hide.

''You were spying on me.'' he said. Aisha touched the back of her head with a palm.

''Well, not really. I just happened to overhear you. I actually can help you. I know where the Outlaw Star is. By the way, my name's Aisha Clanclan.'' she said. Xy didn't seem too mad at her. He just looked down.

''You're humoring me. You think I'm crazy. Talking to myself as if someone was near me.'' Xy said. He turned around, back to the river. ''Look, I'm not someone you should worry about. I'm just another face in the crowd.''

Aisha cocked her head. She pitied this person, who seemed even more lost and confused than a wild bant pup in a city back on her homeplanet.

''I can show you the Outlaw Star. My friends there can help you with whatever you need to know.'' she said. Xy let a hollow laugh out.

''You won't leave me alone unless I listen, will you?'' he asked. Aisha shook her head. ''Well, you don't seem untrustworthy. Alright. Lead on. I have nothing better to do than follow right now anyways.''

Aisha nodded and began to walk back to the ship, with Xy following close behind.

At the Outlaw Star...

''Gilliam, can you get Gene for me?'' Aisha asked. A camera lens came from the hatch.

''He is in the station right now. Only Suzuka is still here.'' the computer said. ''Who is this?''

''This is Xy. He wanted to talk to Gene. I don't know what for, but he's not an enemy. At least, not from what I've seen.'' Aisha explained.

''I'll get Suzuka. Let her give her opinion.'' Gilliam said. A minute later, the hatch opened and the ex-assassin Twilight Suzuka walked out, wooden katana in hand (for all you Minecrafters out there, including me, I bet you're having a good laugh about this).

''Yes?'' she asked, then looked at Xy. ''Who do you work for? You have a dark energy around you.'' she said, raising her sword.

''I don't work for or with anyone. I'm just a traveller. And as for 'dark' energy, it's much closer to light than anything else. The energy isn't even fully mine. It's in this.'' Xy pulled out a pendant on his neck. It had a circular disc with a perfect emerald green viper spiralling on its face, its head with its ruby red eye near the edge.

The light caught in its eye and made it look almost alive. ''It's my aura animus, my spirit charm.''

Suzuka reached for the spirit charm, but Xy's sword blocked her hand. ''Only I may touch it. You don't want to try, trust me. I'm already wary of all of you. You don't want to be my enemy.'' he said, his voice suddenly venomous.

Suzuka wasn't going to let him dampen her pride.

''Suzuka, don't.'' Aisha said, knowing what Suzuka was about to do. ''I saw some of his skill. He's the best swordfighter I've ever seen.''

''This is for my pride, Aisha, nothing less. I'm not letting it get in my way.'' Suzuka said, swinging her sword.

Xy caught it easily with his own sword. ''Look, I can see that you have a large amount of pride.'' he said, catching every move that Suzuka threw at him, ''But I'm no enemy unless you want me to be. I'm just a traveller who's on a mission. Now, I just need to speak with the captain of this ship, and then I'll be on my way.''

With that, Xy went on the offense, and with one slash, the front half of Suzuka's wooden sword fell to the ground, severed neatly.

Suzuka stood there for a second, stunned. ''Don't use a wooden sword against an Aura blade.'' Xy said simply.

Suzuka crumpled to her knees, and picked the broken blade up with trembling fingers.

''No...'' she said quietly, looking at the pieces. ''It can't be...''

''What's going on here?'' a voice asked from behind. Xy let his sword disappear and turned around. A tall man with red hair and a few scars stood there.

''This is Xy. He wanted to speak with you, and accidentally offended Suzuka, who fought him. He cut her sword in half.'' Gilliam said.

''I didn't want trouble. If you would like, I can fix the sword.'' Xy offered. Suzuka blatantly refused, still staring at the pieces.

''Suzuka and Aisha, you should go back in the ship. I'll talk to Xy.'' Gene said. Aisha helped Suzuka up, picking the remains of the sword up in the other hand and going inside. She watched the scene through a porthole. Gene turned to Xy and crossed his arms.

''Alright. What is it you want with me?'' he asked, taking out his gun and pointing it at Xy.

''I only wanted to ask you if you sent the signal that brought me here.'' Xy said. ''I'm not your enemy, Gene. I am merely a traveller on a mission, like I told Suzuka.''

''I didn't send any signal to you. I've never heard of you before.'' Gene said. He didn't lower the gun.

''You didn't have to know me. The signal was sent when you came in contact with a Space Distortion Unit, a device that, when touched, gives off a massive shockwave causing space and time to fold and rip temporarily. It pulls something, or someone, to its universe. In this case, I was that someone.'' Xy said.

''But-'' Gene could sense one, though the whole story was hard to believe.

''But there was an error, a glitch in the mechanism, and now I'm stuck here. I thought that you could help me. It seems that you didn't even know that you had activated an SDU, though. In that case, I'll be leaving now. Thank your Ctarl-Ctarl friend for me, since she helped me find you. We'll probably never meet again.''

With that, Xy turned around and walked away, leaving Gene standing there, a bewildered expression on his face.

Xy stopped for a second and looked back. ''By the way, I'm the one who paid your debts and got you the parking fee here. It seems that my arrival caused some good things after all.'' he said, then resumed walking, this time without stopping again.

Aisha left the ship again when Xy was gone. ''I'm going to try to contact the Orta Hone Hone, okay?'' she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she went back into the station.

With Xy...

Xy walked slowly, hands in his pockets. ''I can't do this for much longer, Xyrule.'' he said quietly. His aura animus glowed green for a second, along with his eyes. ''I know.'' he said. ''I shouldn't give up so quickly. It's just that there's something about this universe that seems out of place. I can't live like this. I'm still human enough to need a place to call my home. That place isn't in this universe.''

The green glow came again, as if responding to Xy. ''No, it's not that. They seem fine. I understand why they don't trust me. Nobody does anymore. I don't even trust me anymore.''

Xy sensed someone rushing down the path he was on, and moved to the side to let the person pass. A brown blur was all a normal person could see of the person, but Xy could see her as if she was walking slowly. He chuckled to himself. The glow shone again. ''She's exactly like I was when I started my journey. Always in a hurry.'' he said, then resumed walking.

With Aisha...

When Aisha finished the call, she started back for the inner part of the city, happier than before. Pawa Inoue had still accepted her as an Admiral. All she had to do was decide now. But she was torn.

On one hand, she could return to her old duty. On the other, she could stay with the Outlaw Star and keep exploring the universe with the crew.

She let her thoughts wander to more immediate choices, like which street to go on.

Somewhere in the city...

Melfina and Jim sat on a bench in a park, eating ice cream.

''It's so quiet.'' Melfina said. She looked around. ''Where is everybody?''

''Not many people take time to go to parks anymore.'' Jim said, looking at the bioandroid. If he hadn't known that she wasn't human, he never would have guessed.

Melfina looked at him. ''Do you really think Aisha will be okay?'' she asked.

''Yeah. She's probably bossing someone around right now like her old self.'' Jim replied.

Melfina giggled, and the two returned to watching the park.


	3. The Sojourner

''NOT AGAIN!'' Aisha screamed, throwing her arms up in frustration. She had lost in the slot machine for the hundredth time. ''PAY UP, YOU STUPID MACHINE!''

''Yelling at it won't help.'' someone said from the crowded casino. She whirled around to yell at the speaker, but he was already sighed angrily and put another coin in the machine.

The first two landed on 7 and 7. Aisha bit her lip as the third wheel spun.

It slowed down and stopped. The last wheel showed an ''X''.

''GRAHHH!'' Aisha screamed. She got up and stormed off to find an easier game.

With Xy...

Aisha didn't know it, but Xy was much closer than she thought. He was walking around the casino, mainly looking for coins that people had left lying around. He calculated that he had found 10 wong now. Enough to play a few of the games, a good way for him to make more money, since his Pokedollars had literally no value here.

He looked around at the different games, then stopped at one and smiled. A Reflex Tester, a game which had metal bars that flung from slots in the wall at high speeds to test the reflexes of the player.

He had done around the same thing since he was a kid, using logs, rope, and sturdy trees.

He put in a few coins and the game turned on. The scoreboard lit up. So far, the high score was only one dodge.

He took a piece of cloth from his pocket and covered his eyes. He always liked extra challenges when he did things.

The bell rang, and the game began.

With Aisha, a few minutes later...

The crowd suddenly seemed to back into one direction, pushing Aisha with it.

''What's going on?'' she asked angrily, trying to move against the crowd, but even her Ctarl-Ctarl strength wouldn't stop the mob of people.

''Someone at the Reflex Tester.'' somebody said. Aisha rolled her eyes, but gradually made her way to the game.

She managed to get into view of the machine, which had an empty circle, with people keeping away from the player.

''So?'' she asked, then noticed the scoreboard. ''The high score was only 1?'' she asked. ''What's his score?''

''14,528 and counting.'' the person who was playing said. He was dodging the metal beams so fast that Aisha couldn't see more than a blur.

After another hour, the person was still going strong. The machine was less lucky. It had begun to smoke and the beams were starting to grate on the sides.

After another few minutes, the game stopped, and the person stopped moving so quickly that he was probably going to pass out.

Surprisingly, though, he wasn't even shaky.

''Calculating score.'' the machine said. The scoreboard whirred, and the high score of 1 was pushed down to second place, as a number generator went onto first. The numbers flipped, until they finally slowed down and revealed his score. ''New High Score. High Score now 100,224,567,33qbrtgslrcntttkbdf.c...''

The computer began smoking again, and the scoreboard and front literally melted.

The person turned to the machine and took off the blindfold he had been wearing. He had been wearing a blindfold the entire time!?

''I must have worn it out.'' he said, collecting the coins he had earned from the machine. He had to dump them in two large buckets, plus filling his pockets.

He turned around and looked at the crowd. Aisha gasped. It was Xy.

''How did you-?'' she asked. Xy looked at her.

''I don't reveal my secrets so easily, Clanclan-Aldith.'' Xy said. His breathing was level and his voice was emotionless as he said the words. He had even known the honorific suffix given to Ctarl women. ''And I have no affiliation with you anymore, since you can't help me.''

A casino employee ran up and looked at the ruined machine, then at Xy. He was completely speechless as Xy went to cash in his coins.

Aisha followed him out of the casino and into an alleyway. She hid behind a dumpster or atop a streetlight when he looked back.

Eventually, they ended up in a docking chamber, which had spaceships that nobody owned for sale. Xy immediately went to a certain one and asked for the price. The salesman looked surprised, then said a number. Xy handed him 100 wong, and the salesman gave him the activator key to the ship.

''I don't know why you wanted this piece of crap, but good luck anyway. It's all yours now.'' the salesman said, then walked away.

Xy got into the ship and activated it. When it turned on, it vibrated with a heavy rattle that knocked dirt off of the front, revealing the name Nostradamus. It lifted off, trailing pieces as it went.

Aisha left the dock and went to find the others.

At the Outlaw Star...

Aisha stopped at the Outlaw Star's hatch, and the first thing she noticed was that the entire crew was already back. They seemed to be waiting for her.

''We have to leave now.'' Gene said. ''Our parking pay somehow dropped, and we can't stay anymore.''

Everybody got back into the ship, and Melfina and Gene activated it.

The engines turned on and the ship lifted off.

With Xy...

''I know this is a terrible choice. I just can't afford to be lenient with money right now. Don't worry. I have an idea. I've just got to find a good place to hide the ship, and I'll fix it up.'' Xy said.

His eyes and aura animus glowed green, and Xy sighed. ''I know it's risky, but it's the only option we've got right now. Without your powers and with nobody on the Outlaw Star to help us, I'm the only person who can get us home.''

His eyes glowed green again, but his aura animus glowed gold, in such a way that it almost seemed frustrated. Xy rolled his eyes.

''Would you stop that? I don't have any powers on my own. Before you showed up, I was just a normal person on a journey.'' he said, pressing a few buttons on the control panel (most of which broke apart or disintegrated at his touch). ''I found a good spot to land. There's a cave in an asteroid close by.''

He maneuvered the Nostradamus to the cave and landed it. He got out with a spacesuit and looked around, noticing the Outlaw Star leaving the spaceport. He smiled slightly, then looked at the mostly useless mess that was the Nostradamus. ''I think you have enough energy to restore this, right?'' he asked. His aura animus and eyes glowed green, and he smiled again. ''Good.''

He touched the surface of the Nostradamus, not noticing that the Outlaw Star had shot a camera pod to watch him.

The Nostradamus began to ripple, and the tan heap of broken metal began to reconnect, and the tan color painted over itself with black, with white dots dappled on it to look like stars. Inside, the control panels and computer restored themselves to their original states.

Xy didn't take much notice in the letter and number combination in front of the ship's name that showed its original name (XGP 56-A1 Beta), but the Outlaw Star's crew did, knowing what the numbers meant.

On the Outlaw Star...

''It's an older version of my system.'' Gilliam said. ''That isn't possible. I have no records of an XGP before me.''

''Well, there's one right here, and it was somehow overlooked.'' Gene said. ''I think we should keep a tab on this guy. He knows what he's doing. We should make sure he doesn't end up our enemy.''

''You worry too much.'' Suzuka said. She had repaired her wooden katana and was back to normal. ''He's an amateur. He's good at swordfighting, but that's all.''

Aisha looked at the camera thoughtfully. ''I'm not so sure.'' she said.

With the Nostradamus...

Xy stood back and smiled when his work was done. The ship was in perfect condition now. He reentered it, and got behind the computer, which now looked like it had just been built.

''Hello, sir. I am Gilliam 1.0.'' the computer said. Xy looked at its camera.

''Hello, Gilliam.'' he said. ''I'm Xy Ketchum, your new captain.'' he said.

''Hello, Xy. Would you like to rename the ship?'' Gilliam 1.0 asked, entering Xy's picture, name, height, and weight in its memory.

''Alright. It's new name is Sojourner.'' Xy said.

Outside, the name Nostradamus changed to Sojourner.

''Open manual for ship controls.'' Xy said. Gilliam obliged, opening windows with the files on the main screen. Xy read through them quickly, then had Gilliam close them. ''Alright, Gilliam. Horizontal launch protocol 3, please.''

''Ether engines at 60 percent power.'' Gilliam said. ''Newton Drive online. All systems green. Ether engines at 100 percent power. Launching.''

The ship lifted off, and Xy manually drove it carefully out of the cave and into open space.

On the Outlaw Star...

''Gilliam, attach a tracer to the Sojourner. Gene said. Gilliam shot out the tracer, which attached to the bottom of one of the Sojourner's wings. ''Jim, how far are we from the nearest planet?''

Jim typed information into his computer and looked up. ''Kryptoban 2 is approximately 3 million kilometers from here.'' he said. ''There's been recent Kei pirate attacks there. The latest was a week ago.''

''Well, we can handle some Kei pirate ships. Let's go.'' Gene said.

''Course set to Kryptoban 2.'' Melfina said.

14 hours later...

When the Outlaw Star entered the Kryptoban 2 space range, they saw the Sojourner enter not far from them. It passed a lone asteroid on the way to the planet.

When it did, things went wrong. Four Kei ships appeared from behind the asteroid, as if they had been waiting for the ship. They attacked immediately.

In the Sojourner...

''Warning. Four Kei ships have ambushed the ship.'' Gilliam 1.0 said.

Xy pressed a button, releasing the camera pods. ''Then let's see how good I am with these controls.'' he said. ''Open grappler arms and activate manual control.''

''Sir, there are four of them.'' Gilliam said, but it obeyed anyway.

Two mechanical arm sleeves came from the central control in front of Xy.

''I know that.'' Xy said, putting his arms in the sleeves. The grappler arms opened, one holding a sword and one empty-handed.

The first attack came from behind. Xy swung his sword arm and it connected with the Kei ship, causing it to explode.

He swiftly moved the ship around and latched his other arm onto another ship before it could swerve out of the way. The other two ships moved to either side, but Xy already had a plan in mind. He flung the ship he was holding in one hand at a ship, causing both to explode. The last ship was taken out by his sword.

''All ships have been destroyed.'' Gilliam said, with a note of visible surprise. ''You finished that quickly.''

''I've trained myself in adaptable strategy.'' Xy said.

On the Outlaw Star...

''He took out four Kei pirate ships in less than half a minute!'' Jim exclaimed.

''That's not possible.'' Gene said.

''Apparently it is.'' Suzuka said. Her previous hatred of Xy turned into a grudging respect.

''Transmission from the Sojourner.'' Jim suddenly said, straightening in his seat.

''Put it on screen.'' Gene said.

Xy's face appeared on the main screen. His expression was as blank and emotionless as always.

''I'm going straight to the point.'' he said. ''Why are you following me?''

Before Gene could answer, Xy's eyes and aura animus suddenly flashed green.

''I would like to get an explanation without your input.'' he said, though he didn't seem to be talking to Gene. He then turned back to face the crew. ''Well?'' he asked.

Gene shook his head to clear it and spoke. ''We weren't following you.'' he said. ''We were going to Kryptoban 2 as well.''

''Then how do you explain the tracer attached to the left wing of this ship?'' Xy asked. ''To a suspicious man, that would seem like you were following me.''

Xy's computer spoke up. ''The Outlaw Star is another XGP 56-A1 prototype. Perhaps Gene Starwind simply wished to keep a tab on me. It is only logical.''

''Gilliam, having the same technology is no reason for tracing me.'' Xy said.

''There are only two XGP 56-A1 ships left in existence. We are specially built from the pirate's brains and the space force's technology. It is a unique combination.'' Gilliam 2.0 said.

''If it's so unique, then how is it that the only other one was somehow the reason why I'm here in the first place? A whole universe, and it just happened to be the one who found the SDU?'' Xy asked. Both ships were silent. ''I thought so. Now, if you don't mind, Outlaw Star, I am deactivating your tracer and leaving. I have no affiliation with you, and have no wish to have one. And for the last time, I am not someone you want to remember. I'm just a person who wants to go home.''

With that, the transmission ended.

''He has some social issues.'' Aisha said, breaking the silence.

''Aisha, none of us know what it's like being trapped in the wrong universe. You might act the same way in that situation.'' Melfina said.

They watched as the Sojourner entered subether and disappeared.


End file.
